"Stop the Victory Toss," Ryu Ji-hyun Pointed to the Spot... Japanese Netizens Moved by the True Class of Korean Baseball [Nagoya AG]

[Financial News] On the field after a fierce contest, the true mark of a champion is found not in the cheers of victory but in the way the victor looks toward the defeated. South Korea national baseball team, which won its fifth consecutive Asian Games title, left a deep impression on Japanese baseball fans not only with its dominant performance but also with its quiet dignity.
On the 27th, at Toyohashi Municipal Baseball Stadium in Aichi Prefecture, Japan, a moving scene unfolded when South Korea's fifth consecutive title was secured with a 3-1 victory over Japan in the baseball final of the 20th Asian Games Aichi-Nagoya in 2026.
The South Korean players rushed onto the mound and cheered immediately after securing the championship. But their celebration was short-lived: Ryu Ji-hyun called the players together and stopped the victory toss and other festivities. Ryu then pointed toward players on Japan's corporate-league representative team, who were bowing toward their home crowd after losing the final.
The South Korean players immediately understood their manager's intention and stopped the championship celebration. They then burst into applause for the Japanese players lined up on the field.
It may seem like a small gesture, but the brief moment has quietly moved people in Japan. On the 29th, Japanese baseball outlet Full-Count highlighted the scene and reported, "Ryu Ji-hyun pointed toward the Japanese players and showed respect for the opponents together with the South Korean players."


Japanese baseball fans, who were left dejected after seeing their team surrender the title on home soil, also responded warmly.
Several reactions appeared on Japanese social media: "It is amazing to see them stop at the most dramatic moment to respect their opponents," "This is true sportsmanship that transcends winning and losing," and "A team with that kind of attitude fully deserves to win the championship."
For South Korea national baseball team, this final was a more nerve-shredding battle than any before. Just two days earlier, the team had suffered the humiliation of a 5-0 shutout loss to Japan in the Super Round, making the pressure of the final almost unimaginable. But backed by a dazzling pitching performance from starting pitcher Gwak Been, KIM Do-young and Moon Bo-kyung delivered consecutive timely hits in the eighth inning, when the game was tied 1-1, after a nail-biting battle to seal a 3-1 victory and the gold medal.
Even immediately after completing the long-awaited revenge, South Korea national baseball team did not forget to show respect. That is why the gold medals around the players' necks shone all the more brightly on the night in Toyohashi.
[email protected] Jeon Sang-il Reporter